The order means people are ordered to stay at home except as necessary to perform any of the following "essential activities:"

To obtain necessary supplies

A person may leave his or her place of residence to obtain the following supplies for himself or herself, for other household members, including pets, or for a loved one or friend who cannot or should not leave home or cannot care for himself or herself:(i) Food and other consumer goods necessary to maintain a person’s daily routine or to maintain the safety, sanitation, and routine operation of a home or residence;(ii) Supplies needed to work from home;(iii) Pharmaceutical prescriptions or other medical supplies;(iv) Fuel for automobiles or other vehicles or other vehicle supplies;(v) Materials for distance learning or other education-related purposes; and(vi) Any other supplies necessary to maintain a person’s or pet’s daily routine or to maintain the safety, sanitation, and routine operation of a home or residence.

To obtain or provide necessary services.

A person may leave his or her place of residence to obtain or provide the following services for himself or herself, for other household members, including pets, or for a loved one or friend who cannot or should not leave home or cannot care for himself or herself:(i) Dental, medical, or surgical procedures allowed under paragraph 14 of this Order;(ii) Government-funded services or benefits;(iii) Automobile repair services;(iv) Services vital to the treatment or care of people with physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, or people with substance-use disorders;(v) Services related to any public or private distance learning activities and education continuity, including all services under education continuity plans approved by the State Superintendent of Education; and(vi) Any other services necessary to maintain a person’s or pet’s health and safety or to preserve the person’s ability to perform an essential activity as defined in this paragraph.

To attend religious services.

A person may leave his or her place of residence to attend an event that is a religious worship service, wedding, or funeral in either of the following circumstances:(i) The event involves fewer than 10 people and the people maintain a consistent sixfoot distance from one another; or

The event is a “drive-in” worship service that adheres to the following rules:

1. All participants shall remain in their vehicles for the entirety of the service;

2. The participants in each vehicle all share the same place of residence; and

3. Participants do not come within six feet of participants in other vehicles.

To take care of others.

A person may leave his or her place of residence to care for a family member, friend, or pet in another household, or to donate blood, or to transport family members, friends, or pets as allowed by this Order.

To work.

A person may leave his or her place of residence to perform work at “essential businesses and operations” as defined in paragraph 2 below or to perform essential workrelated activities as follows:(i) Work-related activities to maintain the value of a business, establishment, corporation or other organization, such as managing inventory, ensuring security, and processing payroll and employee benefits;(ii) Work-related activities to enable people to work or shop remotely from their residences or to allow people to buy products through drive-by, curbside, or doorto-door delivery; or(iii) Work-related activities that do not require any regular interaction within six feet of another person.

To engage in outdoor activity.

A person may leave his or her place of residence to participate in outdoor activity that involves fewer than 10 people so long as the person maintains a consistent six-foot distance from other persons.

To seek shelter.

A person may leave his or her place of residence to seek shelter if required by his or her employment by an “essential service of business” or if his or her residence is unsafe or at imminent risk of becoming unsafe. A person may also leave his or her place of residence to seek help from providers of basic necessities to economically disadvantaged people, such as food pantries.

To travel as required by law.

A person may leave his or her place of residence to travel as required by law enforcement or court order, including the transportation of children required by a custody agreement.

To see family members.

A person may leave his or her place of residence to visit the residence of other persons who are related to him or her.

Anyone leaving his or her home or place of residence as authorized in this order shall take reasonable steps to maintain six feet of separation from other persons.

For the purposes of this Order, “essential businesses and operations” means and includes:

Government operations, including public safety and first responders, law enforcement, fire prevention and response, courts and court personnel, military, emergency management personnel, corrections, probation and parole, child protection, child welfare, EMTs, 911 call-center employees, all workers and vendors that support law enforcement and emergency management operations and services, and other federal, state, tribal, or local officials or employees;

Media operations, including newspapers, digital news sites, television, radio and other media services;

Education operations, including educators supporting public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities or other educational institutions, for purposes of facilitating distance learning and education continuity plans approved by the State Superintendent of Education, performing critical research or other essential functions, including public schools preparing and transporting distance-learning materials and meals to eligible students and colleges providing lodging for students (all in compliance with paragraph 12 below);

Construction and construction-related services, including building and construction, lumber, building materials and hardware businesses, electricians, plumbers, other construction tradesmen and tradeswomen, exterminators; cleaning and janitorial, HVACR and water heating businesses; painting, moving and relocating services, other skilled trades, and other related construction firms and professionals for maintaining essential infrastructure;

Essential public services, defined as services necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation and essential operations of residences and essential businesses and essential business operations, including law enforcement, fire prevention and response, firearm and ammunition manufacturers and retailers, building code enforcement, security, emergency management and response, building cleaning including disinfection, automotive sales and repair, mortuaries and cemeteries;

Military or defense operations, including employers and personnel who support the essential products and services required to meet national security commitments, including personnel working for companies and their subcontractors, who perform under contract to the Department of Defense providing materials and services to the Department of Defense and government-owned/contractor-operated and government-owned/government-operated facilities.

Essential services or product providers, defined as vendors that provide services or products, including logistics, transportation, and technology support, child care programs and services, medical waste disposal, hazardous waste disposal, services needed to ensure the continuing operation of an essential business or operation, operation of government agencies, and to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the public;

Religious entities, including religious and faith-based facilities, entities and groups;

Federally-designated critical infrastructure, defined as workers and related industries identified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in its “Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 Response,”

Other state-designated essential businesses and operations, defined as businesses and operations deemed essential by the Alabama Department of Public Health or the Alabama Emergency Management Agency; and

Support operations for essential businesses and operations, defined as employees, contractors, agents, suppliers, or vendors of an essential business or operation as defined in this paragraph.

Operators of “essential businesses and operations” as defined in paragraph 2 may, but need not, issue credentials to their employees verifying their status as an employee of an essential business or operation. The decision to provide any such credentials is left to thediscretion of the essential business or operation.

“Essential businesses and operations” as defined in paragraph 2 shall take all reasonable steps, for employees and customers, to (a) avoid gatherings of 10 persons or more and (b) maintain a consistent six-foot distance between persons.